Kilkenny book final spot
In a repeat of last year’s final, Kilkenny led for almost the entire game after Laois had started brightly. The Cats were four points up at half time, and even though Laois pulled it back to two early in the second-half, Kilkenny had too much. Alan Murphy’s 36th minute goal gave them a sizeable cushion for the remainder of the game and they pulled clear in the end to book a date with Dublin in the Leinster final on July 6
Scorers for Kilkenny: A Murphy 1-9 (7f), L Scanlon 0-3, L Blanchfield, C Browne, S Morrissey 0-2 each, R Corcoran, J Walsh, J Keoghan 0-1 each.
Scorers for Laois: M Kavanagh 0-9 (7f, 65), A Mortimer, A Dunphy 0-2 each, L O’Connell (f), K Bergin, R Phelan 0-1 each.
LAOIS: P Simms; D Hartnett, R Mullaney, E Cuddy; C Phelan, L O’Connell, L Cleere; D Cahill, J Lennon; A Corby, K Bergin, R Phelan; M Kavanagh, A Mortimer, A Dunphy.
Subs: S Downey for Cahill (43), R Saunders for Dunphy (51), J Kelly for Cleere (59)
KILKENNY: D Brennan; C Doheny, C Delaney, C McGrath; D Mullen, J Cleere, D Joyce; C Browne, L Scanlon; S Morrissey, D O’Connor, B Ryan; R Corcoran, L Blanchfield, A Murphy.
Subs: E Kenny for O’Connor (23), R Butler for Browne (39), J Walsh for Corcoran (47), J Keoghan for Ryan (53), R Donnelly for Blanchfield (61)
Referee: M Murtagh (Westmeath)
